Rivers and their watersheds constitute some of the most dynamic and complex landscapes. Rivers have sustained human communities, and human societies have utilized and altered river flows in a number of ways for millennia. However, the level of human impact on rivers, and on watershed environments, has become acute during the last hundred years or so.

This book brings together empirical research on the changing conditions of a range of river basin environments in the contemporary world, including the history and culture of local societies living in these river basins. It provides...

This volume brings together the geological, geomorphological and ecological aspects of Japan's natural heritage, arguing for dynamic conservation of such heritage and explaining their key characteristics in an accessible format for general readers.